Here's How Futurama Addresses Hulu Reboot in New Season Premiere

Futurama Season 11's premiere addresses in-universe how each of the characters feel coming back for another reboot with Hulu ten years after it was last cancelled on Comedy Central.

By Nick Valdez

Futurama is back again with a new season now streaming with Hulu ten years after its second cancellation, and naturally Futurama couldn't help but make jokes on the fact that it's been rebooted yet again in the premiere episode for Futurama Season 11. Futurama has been very meta since the beginning as it previously took shots at the fact it was cancelled by Fox and revived again with Comedy Central, and that same trend has continued with the new season as it picks up from the events of the Futurama Season 10 finale as time is literally rebooted and set back into place. 

Thankfully, Futurama Season 11 does not overwrite the events of the previous series finale, "Meanwhile," and begins with Professor Farnsworth starting up the timeline after it's been frozen. It's hilariously explained that their respective ages now don't really matter because they don't know how long the universe was set in place, but they each recognize and feel like they have been "rebooted" and now exist within 3023. As the episode continues, the fact that Futurama's now streaming with Hulu becomes a major aspect of the season premiere's plot. 

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(Photo: Hulu)

How Futurama Nods to Hulu's Big Reboot

Futurama Season 11 Episode 1 sees Fry declaring that his new dream (following a crisis realizing he's done nothing of note since he's come to the future) is to watch all of the TV shows on a streaming service named "Fulu" (which naturally has the same font as Hulu). Needing to then see all of the episodes for "All My Circuits," which had been cancelled "three or four" times with the last new episodes hitting ten years ago, Fry then straps to a special suit which allows him to binge all of the episodes available. 

When Fry's life is subsequently put in danger, Leela and the others head to the Fulu headquarters and ask them to reboot the series with new episodes. This not only wraps up a plot where Calculon had died and been sent to Robot Hell during the Comedy Central run, but further ties Futurama's own reboot to the in-universe "All My Circuits." As the episode comes to an end, Fry then speaks to the government about the dangers of bingeing and notes how those at home should not watch more than 10 episodes at a time (which is the length of a season of Hulu's Futurama). 

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It's a very direct callout to the fact that Futurama is back in action once more (along with smaller nods such as the bloody "Avenged!" under the Futurama logo at the opening credits), but since it's been ten years it all feels like it's back on the bicycle for a fun season to come. 

What did you think of Futurama's Season 11's premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

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